Otaku Board and Card Gaming(Saturday, 5:30pm, CGC 105) – A discussion of tabletop games that were either originally designed in Japan or have otaku-related themes. We’ll also talk about a bit about types of mechanics/genres these games fit into.

Game Dev for Business Developers – With the rise of engines like Unity, the languages and tools available for game development often overlap with those used in web and desktop development. Conceptually, however, it’s a completely different world. We’ll discuss some of the key differences to help ease the transition into the world of hobbyist game development.

Finishing Your Unity Game – For game jammers and hobbyist devs, the process of releasing a game may seem like an afterthought compared to designing and building it–right up until you realize everything you need to do before you can finally click “Build” or “Submit”. This session will cover the easy-to-forget steps and last-minute decisions so you can plan ahead.

Otaku Board & Card Gaming(Friday 4pm, Panel B): A discussion of tabletop games that were either originally designed in Japan or have otaku-related themes. We’ll also talk about a bit about types of mechanics/genres these games fit into.

Otaku Tabletop Gaming(Saturday 10pm, Panel 406): A discussion of tabletop games that were either originally designed in Japan or have otaku-related themes. We’ll also talk about a bit about types of mechanics/genres these games fit into.

Game Dev for Fun (and not profit) (Friday 10am, Panel 406): How to get into game development as a hobbyist. We’ll focus on some examples of 2D games in Unity (a cross-platform game dev tool), other tools that are available (some free), and how to find the support and motivation you need to get involved.

Game Development for Fun (and not profit) – Friday, 10am – How to get into game development as a hobbyist. We’ll focus on some examples of 2D games in Unity (a cross-platform game dev tool), other tools that are available (some free), and how to find the support and motivation you need to get involved.

Otaku Board and Card Gaming – Saturday, 5:15pm – A discussion of tabletop games that were either originally designed in Japan, or have otaku-related themes. We’ll also talk about a bit about types of game mechanics and the genres these games fit into.

Tabletop Game Mechanics for Video Game Devs – Thursday, 5pm – What can a video game designer learn from tabletop games? This talk will discuss the overlap between analog and digital game mechanics. For those new to the hobby, I’ll cover some of the categories and genres of modern board and card games. I’ll also highlight particular games that are good examples of these genres or have interesting implementations of certain mechanics.

Replacing Your RPG Habit with Board Games – Thursday, 11pm – RPGs used to be a part of your life, but between scheduling conflicts and being a responsible adult, you just don’t have time anymore! We’ll talk about why we play RPGs, and how simpler games that require less out-of-game preparation can fulfill those same roles.

Board Gaming 201 – Saturday, 2pm – Have you dipped your toe into the tabletop gaming waters, but need some help navigating the vast expanse of board and card games out there? We’ll give some tips on how to identify the types of games you enjoy and recommend some lesser-known board games!

Board and Card Gaming 201 – TBD – An overview of how to identify the types of board and card games you like, as well as board game recommendations.

Game Development for Fun (and not profit) – TBD – An overview of “hobby” game development, including how to get started, the (free) tools available, and how to find support in user groups and game jams.

Drawing with Inkscape – TBD – A brief introduction to Inkscape, free/open source vector graphics software, as a complement to other art programs like Photoshop or GIMP. Covers some of the basic functions, with some thoughts about how to build your technique around them.

(From what I understand, these panels should all be on Saturday, but that’s subject to change.)

Game Development for fun (and not profit) – Sunday 3pm, Clydesdale panel room– An overview of “hobby” video game development, including how to get started, the (mostly free) tools available, and how to find support/motivation in user groups and game jams.

A Primer on Tabletop Game Mechanics – A talk about what video game designers can learn from board and card games; popular genres, categories, and mechanics; and interesting implementations of some common concepts.

Otaku Board and Card Gaming – TBA – An overview of games by Japanese designers, as well as Japanese- and “otaku”-themed games. (This is sort of a specialized version of my general tabletop gaming panel.)